HL Deb 15 June 2004 vol 662 c59WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will support an increase in the provision of utility helicopters and Hercules transport planes to enhance NATO's capability in Afghanistan and allow individual Provincial Reconstruction Teams to be reinforced quickly if they should be threatened. [HL3070]

Lord Bach

NATO determines the military capabilities needed by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) it plans to establish. The United Kingdom supports NATO's requirement for the ISAF to have an effective air transport and support helicopter capability: we have already offered ISAF access to the Hercules transport aircraft we use to support our existing PRT in Mazar-e Sharif. We are also working actively with our partners in NATO and ISAF to ensure the force continues to have an air transport and support helicopter capability appropriate to all its needs.